Means to eliminate noise in parts of record-controlled musical instruments



March 11, 1930. T. F. CHEEK 1,750,037

MEANS TO ELIMINATE NOISE IN PARTS OF RECORD CONTROLLED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Sept. 20, 1925 Patented Mar. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOLBEBT F. CREEK, OF NEE N. Y., ASSIGNOYP lvIESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

WELTE-MIGNON CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. '35., A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE MEANS TO ELIMINATE NOISE IN PARTS OF RECORD-CONTROLLED MUSICAL INSTRU- MENTS Application filed September 20, 1923.

Pa ent Number 1,008,291, Edwin lVelte and lilarl Bo l-zisch, dated November 7, 1911, illustrates and describes, among other thin s, an expression bellows, marked 0 in the patent, and means, including a duct Z and tracker controlled valvular mechanism, operat ve to collapse and expand the said expression bellows under control of a record. in the patent refered to, the said expression bellows is provided with a passage or port 0 which is normally closed by a valve 0 which is operated by a small bellows a which in turn controlled from the expression action of the instrument to open the valve 0 to thereby quickly inflate the bellows 0 when it is desired to pass suddenly from a stronger to a weaker volume oi tone.

One of the important purposes of this invention is to provide a means of improved nature whereby a pneumatic, exemplified in the present instance by the expression bellows c oi the \Velte-Bockisch paten referred to, may quickly distended or expanded by opening it to the atmosphere through means adapted to permit a sudden inrush of air in suflicient volume to cause the rapid expansion or distention of: said pneumatic.

It has been found in the operation of record controlled musical instruments that when currents of air of considerable intensity are caused to flow through tubes or the like, having smootl sides and open ends. eddy currents are termed causing noises which are always disagreeable and mar the musical effects and in many instances are so pronounced as to be well delined whistles. Attempts have been made to cut down these noises by straining the air through felt or like material covering the opening through which the air flows. This means, however, is of limited application and utility, largely for the reason that it so reduces the 1' supply that itcannotbe successfully employed when a large volume of air or a flow of air of great intensity is required. A partic ular purpose of my invention is to provide a means for use in record controlled musical instruments, which will eliminate the noises caused by a rush of air through a duct or port and which may be employed even when the Serial No. 663,831.

intensity of the air is required to be 0t great strength. i

The application of this invention as a substitute for the pneumatic n and valve 0 of the lVQltG-BOCklSCll patent hereinbefore referred to exemplifies one of the very important uses to which the invention may be put in its entirety, but I would have it understood that while said application of the invention is very important and has been made the subject of certain of the appended claims, yet the invention is of broader scope and embodies features capable of wide application and use in record controlled musical instruments, contemplated to be within the spirit of the invention defined by appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the referred to particular application of the invention, and in which drawings, like charact-rs of reference denote corresponding parts in tie different views F l is a diagrammatic sectional representation showing the preferred embodiment of the invention when applied as the venting means for an expression pneumatic to cause the sudden expansion of said pneumatic or the like, in that type of musical instruments generally called reproducing pianos. In this figure, the parts are shown in the positions trey occupy when the expression pneumatic is collapsed and the port through which said pneumatic is vented to bring about its sudden expansion is closed.

rig. 2 is a like view but showing parts in the positions they occupy when said port is open.

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the unit which contains the valve which is operated to open and close said port.

10 designates a part of an ordinary tracker bar having special apertures 11 and 11. The aperture 11 is connected by a duct 11 with a chamber 11 of that part 01"- the expression action chest B by which the tension of the air in a duct Z is controlled from the tracker. The special aperture 11 is connected by a duct 12 with a chamber 18 formed in a valve box ll which also forms part of the expression action chest B. This valve box 1&- also has a chamber, 15, which is under suction at all times and a chamber 16 rovided with a suction port 17 to the cham er 15 and a port 18 to the atmosphere. A pouch 19 is arranged to have its opposite sides exposed to the tensions of the air in the chambers 13 and 15, respectively, and said chambers are connected with each other around the pouch by a bleed hole 20. A valve member 21 is arranged in the chamber 16 in osition to close the ports 17 and 18 alternate by the operation of the pouch 19 with which the stem 22 of the valve 18 o eratively related. Thus far, I have described a part of the Welte-Bockisch mechanism, which has been illustrated and described in their patent hereinbefore named and is operable under control of a record, indicated at A, and is suitable for the present purposes but to which my invention is not restricted. It will be understood that with this form of valve mechanism, the valve member 21 will be in its position wherein the suction port 17 is closed and the atmospheric port 18 1s open when the instrument is in operation and the tracker aperture 11 forming the mouth of the duct 12 is closed by the record (see Fig. 1). At this time, the air in the chamber 13 and in duct 12 will be rarefied, through the bleed hole 20 and chamber 15, the latter having suitable connection with means, not necessary to illustrate or describe herein because well known, for producing the necessary suction within said chamber for the operation of the described valve and of other valves and parts which perform other functions in the operations of record controlled musical instruments. When, however, the tracker aperture 11 is opened, in the operation of the instrument, by the registration therewith of a perforation a in the note sheet, air at atmospheric pressure will enter the chamber 13 and will act upon the pouch 19 to raise the valve member 21 and cause it to open the suction port 17 and close the atmospheric port 18. Communication of the chamber 16 with the atmosphere is thereby cut off and the air in said chamber is rarefied by the communication thus opened between it and the chamber 15.

23 designates a member or unitary device whose body contains within it means, forming the essence of the present invention, for preventing the disagreeable noises incident to sudden rushes of air. In the illustrated form of the invention the member 23 is a box having a chamber 24 connected by a duct 25 with the chamber 16 in the member 14 so as always to contain air at the same tension as that of the air in said chamber 16: and also having an additional chamber 26 which is in communication with the atmosphere at all times, through an appropriate number of openings 27, four in this instance, each of which is provided with a lining 32 of suitable soft material, such as felt, open at both ends; a valve 28, carried by a pouch 29 whose opposite sides are exposed to the tensions of the air in the chambers 24 and 26, respectively and which valve is arran ed to open and close a port 30, through w ich the chamber 26 may have communication with the interior of the pneumatic 31. This 31 is the expression bellows of tie Welte- Bockisch patent hereinbefore referred to. The valve 28 is here shown as being acted upon by a spring 33 which tends to close it upon its seat about the port 30. The valve 28, therefore, is held upon its seat over the port 30 when the chamber 24 has communication with the atmosphere, (in this exemplification through the duct 25, chamber 16 and port 18) because the chamber 26 is always in communication with the atmosphere through the ports 27. This is the position of the parts in the operation of the instrument when the aperture 11 is closed by the note sheet. (See neumatic open the valve 28 against the tension of the spring 33. said spring being of strength sufficient onl to assure the closin of the valve 28 when tie pressures of the air on opposite sides of the pouch 29 are equal to each other. It will be understood that the moment the valve 28 has been opened the interior of the bellows 31 is placed in communication with the atmosphere through the port 30, chamber 26 and the several ports 27. A rapid inflow of air into the bellows 31 thereupon takes place and this results in the immediate expansion of said bellows.

The lining otthe duct or ducts through which rushes of air takes place with soft material open at both ends to permit the free flow of the air through the thus lined duct or ducts is one of the very important features of my invention for the reason that disagreeable noises are thereby eliminated without cutting down the flow of air to an extent equal to or in anywise approximately that which occur if the air were forced to flow through a straining cloth. for example.

Moreover. it will be noted that in the embodiment of the invention here illustrated, the chamber 26 which is arranged between the ducts 27 and port 30 acts as an expansion chamber through which the air passes in its rush between these ducts and port, thereby contributing to a noiseless operation, Again, it will be noted that the member 23 is a self contained unit of simple and practical construction which may be readily applied to a pneumatic and when so applied will efiecor L0 tively accomplish the several purposes herein before mentioned.

In practice the member at} is provided wit '1 an opening 34 in its outer side, throng l which the spring may be inserted. opening is shown as closed by a plug 05 which serves as an abutn'ient for the spring and whose out-er surface is covered by a lining 86 of canvas or other suitable material to prevent leakage of air around or through the plug.

Having thus described the invention, what I believe to be new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a record controlled musical instrument, a member having an air expansion chamber'having a plurality of ducts and linings for said ducts made of soft material and each open at its opposite ends to permit the free flow of air into and through the same 2. In a record controlled musical instrument, a member having an air expansion chamber having a plurality of ducts and linings of felt for said ducts, each open at its opposite ends to permit the free flow of air into and through the same.

3. Means operativeto control an inrush or" air into a pneun'iatic and to eliminate noise due to such inrnsh, comprising a unitary device having a first chamber provided v h an opening through which it may communicate with said pneumatic and a second cham ber provided with an openin to be connected to means through which the tension of the air in the second chamber may be varied, means provided with a lining of soft material open at both ends through which the first chamber has communication with the atmosphere, a pneumatic in said device, having its opposite sides exposed to the tensions of the air in said chambers, respectively, and a valve operatively connected to the latter pneumatic, for controlling communication of the first chamber with the pneumatic which is U0 be controlled by said do ice.

4:. Means operative to control an inrush of air into a pneumatic and to eliminate noise due to such inrush, comprising unitary device to be connected to said pneumatic and having an expansion chamber provided with an atmospheric port having a linin of soft material open at its ends, said device also having a second chamber provided with port to be connected with a means for varying the tension of the air in the second chamher, a pneumatic in said device having opposite sides exposed to the tensions of the air in the chambers, respectively, and a valve operatively connected to said pneumatic and for controlling communication of the expansion chamber with the pneumatic which to be controlled by said device.

5. In. a record controlled musical instrument: a pneumatic having a vent opening, in combination with a device connected to said pneumatic and including a valve to control said opening; the device also having means forming an expansion chamber and an atmospheric duct; the atmospheric duct provided with a lining of soft material which is open throughout its length and through which the air passes.

6. In a record controlled musical instrument: the combination of pneumatic and a unitary device connected to the pneumatic and controlling communication of the interior of the pneumatic with the atmosphere, said device including an air conducting means provided with a lining of soft material which is open at its ends and through which the air )RSFS, and a so including within its interior a record controlled valve which controls communication between the air conduct-- ing means and the pneumatic. I

7. In record controlled musical instrument, a pneumatic anc means to change the tension of the air therein, having a plurality of ducts, each provided with a lining of soft material, open both ends, through which said means connnunicates with the atmosphere, and also having pneumatically operable valve common to said ducts and by which th comn'uinication of the ducts with the interior of the 1H1C-Ll11ldtlC is controlled.

8. In a record controlled musical instrument, a pneumatic and means to change the tension of the air therein, including a chamber provided with plurality of ducts, each a lining of soft material and open at both e ds, through which the chamber communicates with the atmosphere, and also hav ing a pneumatically operable valve common ducts and by which the communication -e ducts with the interior of the pneumatic through the chamber is controlled.

9. .ln a record controlled musical instrument, a pneumatic having a port, and means operatively related to said port to change the tension of the air in the pneumatic, said means comprising a member having a chamber provided with means through which the chamber has comn'iunica't-ion with the atmosphere, the last named means provided with a lining of soft material open at both ends to permit the flow of air therethrough, said nember also having a second chamber, means through which the tension of the air in the chamber may be varied, a pneumatic having its opposite sides exposed to the tensions of the air in said chambers, respectively, and a valve operatively related to the last mentioned pneumatic and to the port of the first mentioned pneumatic and controlling the flow of air be ween the latter pneumatic and the first mentioned chamber.

10. In a record controlled musical instrument, a pneumatic having a port, a member having a chamber to communicate with said pneumatic through said port and provided with a duct through which it has communication with the atmosphere, said duct having a lining of soft material open at both ends to permit the flow of air therethrough, a valve to control said port, and means under control of a record to operate said valve.

11. In a record controlled musical instrument, a pneumatic having a port, a member having a chamber to communicate with said pneumatic through said port and provided with a duct through which it has communication with the atmosphere, said duct having a lining of soft material open at both ends to permit the flow of air therethrough, said member also having a second chamber, means through which the tension of the air in the second chamber may be varied, a pneumatic having its opposite sides exposed to the tensions of the air in said chambers, respectively, and a valve operatively related to the last mentioned pneumatic and to said port and controlling communication of the first mentioned chamber with the first mentioned pneumatic.

12. In a record controlled musical instrument, a pneumatic having a port, a member having a chamber to communicate with said pneumatic through said port and provided with a duct through which it has communication with the atmosphere, said duct having a lining of soft material open at both ends to permit the flow of air therethrough, said member also having a second chamber, means under control of a record through which the tension of the air in the second chamber may be varied, a pneumatic having its opposite sides exposed to the tensions of the air in said chambers, respectively, and a valve operatively related to the last mentioned pneumatic and to said port and controlling communica tion of the first mentioned chamber with the first mentioned pneumatic.

13. A tension control member for a pneumatic of record controlled musical instruments, comprising a unitary device having an expansion chamber provided with a plurality of ducts and a pneumatically operated valve to control communication of the expansion chamber with the pneumatic controlled by said device.

14. In a record controlled musical instrument, a pneumatic, a member for varying the tension of the air in said pneumatic, said member comprising a unitary device having an expansion chamber having a plurality of ducts through which it has communication with the atmosphere, and a pneumatically operable valve to control communication of said chamber with the interior of the pneumatic.

15. In a record controlled musical instrument, a pneumatic having a port and means to change the tension of the air in said pneumatic, said means comprising an expansion chamber having a duct operatively related to the said port to have communication with the interior of the pneumatic lherethrough, a valve and pneumatically operable means to operate said valve to open and close said port.

16. In a record controlled musical instrument, a pneumatic having a port and means to change the tension of the air in said pneumatic, said means comprising an expansion chamber having a duct operatively related to the said port to have communication with the interior of the pneumatic therethrough, a valve, and record controlled means to operate said valve.

17. The combination with a pneumatic having a vent port, of a device to control the port, said device having a casing which is supported by the pneumatic and is provided with an air ex ansion chamber having a port lined with so material open at both ends, the device also having a neumatically operable valve to control said vent port.

18. A member to elfect the sudden expansion of a pneumatic forming part of a record controlled musical instrument, the said member being of unitary construction and comprising within its body an expansion chamber to be in communication with the interior of the pneumatic and which expansion chamber is open to the atmosphere and is provided with a valve to control its communication with the interior of said pneumatic; the said member also including a second chamber, a pneumatic which separates the expansion chamber from the second chamber and is connected to the valve, and a port through which it has communication with air of relatively different tensions, alternatel In testimony whereof I alli x my signature.

TOLBERT F. CHEEK. 

